Hiccstrid Fluff: Hiccup the Chaste
by kchaos85
Summary: My Gods, Astrid knew just how to drive Hiccup crazy. If only he wasn't held to such a high standard on Berk, he would act on his urges. Lots of updates, story has evolved to be a little less fluff/smut, and a little more heart. WARNING- LAST CHAPTER HAS HTTYD 2 SPOILERS* *Currently working on a rewrite of this fic, let me know if you have any suggestions*
1. Chapter 1: It started off Innocent

**Author's Note: After reading some other fanfictions, I am torn on how Astrid and Hiccup may first give themselves to one another. Part of me thinks that Hiccup would require that the couple be married first, as is the proper thing to do, but another part of me thinks that if Astrid pushed the issue, Hiccup wouldn't refuse. I mean, come on, whatever Astrid wants, she gets. So, just to get my feet wet in the world of fanfiction, I'm going to do a few short one shots with both scenarios. This is a little Hiccstrid fluff, if you will. (bare with me, I'm new and still getting used to the lingo)**

**I want to focus on the 5 year gap between the 2 movies. I would put this somewhere around Hiccup and Astrid at age 18.**

*********Updated Authors Note************

**Ummm, yeah. So, completely disregard the above paragraph. 7 chapters in, I think I can officially say that this isn't a one shot, eh? I also was planning on doing a "wait until marriage" story and a "not wait until marriage" story, but I realized that the whole, "wedding night" story has been done a bunch, and lots of people have already done a pretty good job of that version, so I'm just going to continue with my version. I was doing some research and apparently Vikings weren't all that prude when it came to pre-marital relations anyway, at least not as a whole. So, hope you enjoy what my story is becoming. **

* * *

_Thunk_

I opened my eyes to the rising sun over the hill. The thunk was the ever inpatient jumping up and down of Toothless. Rubbing my eyes and stretching, I smiled to myself. As annoyed as I get sometimes at Toothless' insistence on our early morning flights, I wouldn't have it any other way.

"ok bud, I'm up!" I yawned. Toothless bounded toward me, rubbing his dragon head against my shoulder as I pulled my tunic over my head. "ok, ok toothless! Just let me get my riding suit!"

Toothless gave me a knowing look that let me know he understood that I was coming, but also said "ok, but don't take too long" and bounded out the door to stretch his legs outside. I was still perfecting my riding suit. I had a few ideas for some additions, but hadn't had a chance to implement them yet. I sighed to myself that it would likely have to wait. Between my dad giving me more and more duties around the village, continuing to train new dragon trainers, and spending as much time as possible with Astrid, I just didn't know when I'd have the time.

I slipped on my leather riding suit and adjusted my peg leg. I proceeded to follow Toothless outside, seeing that my dad was already out of the house. As I stepped outside, I spotted Stormfly and Astrid descending from the sky in front of us.

"Good morning, milady!" I grinned at her. I couldn't help it. Every day that I saw her, I was just in awe that she had chosen me. We had been through a lot together and had learned to trust each other implicitly. "Decide to join us this morning?"

Astrid swept her hair across her shoulder and smiled back. "of course! Stormfly seemed particularly eager this morning for a ride, and I knew you guys would be heading out soon." She looked at me a little shyly, but still with all the confidence that is Astrid, and said "If you don't mind of course". She fully well knew I would never refuse any request she would make.

She jumped off Stormfly and walked over towards me, casually. I swept her easily into my arms, as had become second nature, and planted a kiss on her soft lips. "It's not every day that a beautiful lady requests to join me on a crack of dawn dragon ride" I smiled. "Just don't let my girlfriend find out, she will literally tear your hair out, maybe knock out a tooth or two, she can be a little violent"

That did it, of course. "ooof!" I teased as Astrid punched me in the arm

"… AND don't you EVER forget it!" Astrid teased back. But I knew she meant it.

I think part of me will always be a little bit awkward. It was true, since defeating the Queen dragon that caused me to lose part of my left leg, I had really had a chance to come into my own. My village finally began to accept my differences, even celebrate them. I had grown more confident, more sure of myself. But 15 years of "the worst Viking Berk had ever seen" kind of sticks with you. But when Astrid was by my side, and she looked at me with eyes of admiration, I felt I could do anything.

"Ready to go?" Astrid asked, already heading back towards Stormfly, who had been able to finish her hearty breakfast of fish at the nearest feeding station. I nodded in agreement and Toothless was by my side within seconds. We both hopped on our dragons and off we went.

Gliding through the air on Toothless was something that I really treasured. It felt so free. I could forget all of my mounting responsibilities, clear my head, work out my problems, well… you get the idea. My mind was mulling over a few of my most recent puzzlers, when Astrid's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Hey, wanna take a break over on that island? Looks like there is a nice cave, maybe we can relax a little and let the dragons play?"

"Your wish is my command, milady!" She knew it was.

We landed easily, dismounting from our dragon friends. Just as she had suggested, the moment we landed, the dragons began to play. Sometimes I think they just liked to get away so they could really be themselves without worrying about knocking down a house. Sure enough, there was a cozy cave. There was a chill in the air, so it would be nice to get out of the wind. Astrid, being ever prepared, pulled a blanket out of her pack.

We walked hand in hand into the cave to escape the wind. I pulled out my flaming sword (another of my proud inventions, if I do say so myself) to make sure the cave wasn't already occupied. Astrid made her own once over. It was one of the things I loved about her, and admired. She was fiercely independent and I never had to worry about her. She could definitely take care of herself, and she made every opportunity to make sure I knew she would never be my damsel in distress. At the same time, I would take care of her if she ever had the need.

We found a nice spot close to the entrance but out of the wind where we could keep an eye on our dragons. She wrapped the blanket around our shoulders and settled her head into my chest. Before we knew it we had both dozed off lazily together. The lazy morning snuggle didn't last long, a crack of thunder snapped us awake.

"Well, it looks like we are trapped here for a little while" Astrid posed. The dragons rushed into the cave with us as the rain began to fall. For a moment I contemplated other options. It's not like the dragons can't fly in the rain, it just wasn't all that convenient. Plus we weren't all that far from the village, we had only flown maybe an hour, at most. I went over a mental checklist in my head of things I needed to get done today, and by the looks of it, it was nearly noon as it was. Dad had commissioned a few new boats, I was supposed to oversee the launching of the boats into the harbor, say a prayer to Njord, God of the sea, that it may be kept safe. Lost in my contemplations, I knew that given the choice, I would choose Astrid every time. I knew a time would come where I would not be able to choose her over my duties around the village. The more I ran over scenarios in my head, the more I convinced myself that this is where we were meant to stay today.

Astrid was looking at me quizzically. "I swear, Hiccup, sometimes I wish I could get inside your head. You just get so, lost, when you are thinking." She raised her hands to my face and cupped my head in her hands. On instinct I leaned forward and our foreheads touched. I wrapped my arms around her, eyes closed. "well?" She said, almost as a whisper. Something about the way she said it made me take notice.

"There is nothing, Milday," I began in a low voice, "that I would rather do than be stranded here with you today." I felt her smile. It really made me realize how busy I had been the last few days, because it suddenly felt like I was home again, wrapped up with my Astrid.

"Good answer." She finally said, smiling. She stroked my cheek with her hand and then wrapped her arms around my neck. My Hands slid down to her waist and I had a sudden need to touch those smiling lips. I leaned in, lips searching for hers, missing first and kissing her check. She met me halfway and I took her sweet lips to mine.

As it usually did when we were alone for any amount of time, away from all the curious and nosy vikings of Berk, things got heated fast. She never ceased to amaze me, the way she gave herself over to me so easily during these moments. Her kisses were hot against my skin, I could feel her losing control of herself. I ran my hands down her body and…

_Hiccup_! I said to myself, _you CANNOT lose control! Not like this. When Astrid loses control, you need to try harder than ever. This is not how the chief's son should act, what would the village say if this went too far! _I scolded myself. I could already see my dad's disappointed scowl. "Wait!" I said aloud and pushed away, both Astrid and I breathing heavy. I couldn't help but notice Astrid's beautiful chest as it heaved up and down.

"What, what now, Hiccup?" Astrid said, half surprised and half annoyed.

"its, its just, I can't… we can't… lose control." I stammered nervously. Yep, there it is, the viking screw up coming out.

"Would you JUST stop it, Hiccup!" Astrid eyed me carefully, but sternly. "Whatever happens, its OUR choice, OURS! No one has to know what we do in private. It's NONE of their business! My Gods!

She was getting frustrated. Not just with me, but both of us knew she was also frustrated with the intense scrutiny that we were under in the village. It seemed when we were back on Berk, everyone was always toeing some imaginary line. They wanted desperately to see us together, but they also didn't want us breaking any rules. After all, as the chief's son and the "Pride of Berk", I was held to a higher standard and expected to set an example. It's a lot of responsibility to take on at age 18, when my hormones were raging most of the time, and stopping myself with Astrid was sometimes the most painful thing I had to do.

I grabbed her and held her close. She struggled at first because she was upset, but she knew I was just trying to help. "I.. I know, Astrid" I said gently to her. "Its not fair, that we have to watch our every move." Its not exactly like others in their age group weren't crossing the line, or even being all that secretive about it. "I just… I want to do what's right," I stumbled. I grabbed her chin and lifted her head up to me, so her eyes met mine. 'I want to do what's right for you, Astrid. I want to do this right. I… I will... Marry you, Astrid Hofferson, once the time is right for us, and it will be great. And I won't let ANYONE stop us then!" I said with a glint in my eye, hoping she'd caught my flirty innuendo.

She smiled then and punched me in the chest. "That's for being such a 'good guy'". She said. Then she wrapped her arms around me and kissed me again. "And so is that."

**To be continued... **


	2. Chapter 2- Astrid's side

**Chapter 2: Astrid's Turn**

**Author's Note: This is my first ever attempt at writing fanfiction, and I was going to start by just writing a one chapter one shot, but after I wrote it I felt like it needed to continue. I'm excited at having 200+ views and 7 followers already, thanks everyone! I don't think that's too bad for my first time. Feel free to leave a review, or suggestions. I have a general direction I want this story to go, but I'm kicking around a lot of different ideas. **

**Thanks again… and happy Hiccstriding! **

It had been an almost perfect morning. Sometimes even I am surprised at how much Hiccup Horrendous Haddick III could make me so ridiculously happy. If only it could have lasted, even just a few hours longer.

It was no secret that Stoick was slowly trying to groom Hiccup into being the new chief of the village. Everyone's eyes were on Hiccup all the time, always wondering if he was going to mess up. Of course, everyone respected him for the sacrifice he made to rid us of the Red Death, the real enemy we never even knew was behind all our troubles, but he was still Hiccup.

Thus, with Hiccup knowing he had a few duties to perform alongside his dad this evening, we had decided to head back to Berk since the rain had let up in the early afternoon. Admittedly, we were pretty hungry anyway as our getaway wasn't exactly planned. I was grateful for the time, though. These days Hiccup seemed too busy for me most of the time. It was somewhat planned on my part. I knew if Stormfly and I got up early enough, we could at least catch him and toothless on their morning flight.

As I dismounted Stormfly back on Berk, I rubbed her scaly head with appreciation. "What do you think, girl? Should we get up early for a flight with Hiccup more often?" The Nadder squacked in agreement. I laughed and gave my friend a friendly pat. Toothless and Hiccup had landed just ahead of us and he was talking quietly to his own dragon, probably telling him he'd be back after performing some duties with his dad. I caught his eye as he finished up his talk with an affectionate pat on Toothless' head.

He grinned one of his famous Hiccup smiles at me. It was such a genuine smile when he was looking at me. Not like the fake or forced smile he often had to use when talking with the other Vikings. I smiled back at him. We had almost gotten lost in each other's eyes, like we were inside each other's minds when we were rudely interrupted by a large mass of stubbornness.

"Hiccup! Where have ye been son?" Stoick's voice boomed, dragging us out of our momentary trance. "My gods, are ye never where I tell ye to be? We have some things to do, before the sun goes down" He looked thoroughly annoyed, not that it was anything new for Stoick. I often wondered if he had any other expression. He gave me a quick side glance as if to say, _I know you had something to do with this. _

Hiccup turned back to look at me and just gave me a sheepish half smile. "Just one more second, dad?" He took the few steps back to where I stood next to my Nadder. He took my hand and bent to kiss it, all the while his eyes never leaving mine. "Thanks for the ride, milady"

I couldn't help myself, his sweet gesture made me wrap my arms around him for a quick hug. He gave me a quick kiss and a look that said, _see? Told ya I'd be in trouble! _Before following his dad. I didn't hear what excuse he gave Stoick this time as his dad put his arm around Hiccup, leading him forward, but Stoick turned his head to look over his shoulder at me, with an expression of both amusement and annoyance.

My stomach rumbled which reminded me that I hadn't eaten since breakfast. I bounded for home where I knew there would be some roasted chicken waiting for me. On the way I ran into Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

"Hey!" Ruffnut said, trying to grab my attention, "talk of the village today is that you and Hiccup wondered off somewhere in the wee morning hours. Some even speculate you may have been out _all night_. Heh". She grunted amusement and self-satisfaction. I could feel my ears getting hot.

"Oh no, rumor mill spreading, someone around here might be Hiccups, uh… stress release" Tuff added as he made his own snort of laughter.

"That's enough!" I shouted, fists clenched. "We are under enough scrutiny from the whole village, I don't need this kind of crap from you guys too". Every time something like this happened, it made Hiccup seem right about us needing to be careful, and I hated that he was right about this.

"Whoa, sorry Astrid… "Ruffnut glanced nervously in my direction, "I didn't mean to upset you, _that much."_

"Yeah, well, I'm not upset". I said, through clenched teeth. "You know how careful Hiccup and I are, and I hate how everyone is always watching us. For Gods' sakes, we're teenagers, we should be allowed some time alone without everyone assuming the worst. It almost makes me think we should just go ahead and actually DO what everyone assumes anyway!" that last bit was probably a bit over the top. My suspicions were confirmed by the blank looks on Ruff and Tuff's face. I turned away. This conversation was over. I stomped my way back to my house and found it thankfully empty. Who knows what is really going around. Just as I suspected, there was still some leftover chicken. I grabbed a leg and ate, my stomach finally settling down.

After eating I spotted my trusty ax in the corner of my room. _Feels like a great day to practice my ax throwing_, I thought to myself. Even though we weren't fighting dragons anymore, we never knew what other enemies lurked around the corner, and I wanted to make sure my skills stayed honed.

Later I found myself in the glen, throwing my ax at imaginary marks. Over and over again until my arms started to feel the burn. I could feel my own anger flowing out of me with every lunge. All the frustrations of the last few months started to drip out of me. "Its not fair!" I would shout as a mock enemy tree was on the receiving end of my pent up ax rage. What Hiccup and I had, it had become something so natural, so pure. The way I loved him, the way he loved me, there was nothing like it in the world. All the people of Berk cared about was that we behave ourselves for now, get married someday, and pop out a bunch of little Berk Heirs. Our relationship wasn't like that, it never was. I trusted him implicitly with everything I had, and I knew he would never want to change me. He knows I wouldn't be happy simply being the chief's wife, staying at home raising little hiccup babies.

I was in the middle of mauling another unfortunate enemy tree when I heard a rustling behind me. I swung around and saw hiccup, looking thoroughly exhausted.

I don't know what it was about seeing him so tired, drained I knew probably partly from going along with all his dad's chiefly duties for the day, but probably also having to dodge whatever rumor really might have been spreading, as Ruff and Tuff brought to my attention. I gave out one last scream, letting out the last of my rage, and started to cry. They were tears of frustration and anger. I sank to my knees as Hiccup ran by my side. He was the only one I would ever let see me vulnerable like this, and seeing his face just caused me to let go.

"I know… I know". He said, as he sat on his knees beside me, arms wrapping around me. "I heard the rumors, too. I spent most of the evening deflecting them." He knew I was angry.

"it's just, it's SO ridiculous, Hiccup!" I said, looking up at him, regaining my composure. I was no longer crying, just mad. "We can't even spend the morning together alone without everyone assuming the worst. I just feel like they don't understand us."

"I... I know, Astrid." He said. He looked around nervously, obviously to make sure we were alone now. "We are so careful, all the time… to, to do the right thing." He sighed. "I'm really starting to wonder what the _right thing_ even is anymore."

"You know what I say, Hiccup?" I looked at him, a sense of self-worth and stubbornness filling me. "I say we just worry about doing what feels right for _us_, and stop worrying so much about what everyone thinks. Obviously, they are going to think whatever they want to anyway." I punched the ground, as if to emphasize my statement.

Hiccup tightened his arm around me, holding me tight for a moment. "Let's go." He said, pushing himself back up onto his feet. I bet it was really not an easy task, with his peg leg, but he made it look effortless. He held out his hand to me. As usual, I ignored it and stood up myself. I didn't want to make it any harder on his peg leg. Once I was up, I took his outstretched hand.

"Where?" He had gotten my attention. I looked at him quizzically.

"Anywhere you want to go, Milady."


	3. Chapter 3: Torn Between honor and Glory

Chapter 3: Torn Between Honor and Glory

Seeing Astrid break down like that in front of me was never a good feeling. Astrid was so tough, I knew if she had broken down into tears, the pressure must be getting to her, just like me. I kicked myself for not being more careful.

I don't know why the Vikings of Berk had taken to center all their attention on us in the last few months. Astrid and I had been dating for a few years now. I remember when we were 16 and Gobber found us embraced rather intimately in my room of the forge, he just laughed and said "ah, young love" before walking away to leave us be. Astrid was mortified. I got a stern talking to from my dad, but the whole village didn't feel the need to gossip about it. Most people just chuckled and went about their day.

Maybe it's because we'd both recently turned 18. It was a respectable age to begin thinking about marriage. Maybe our older age had people suspecting that our relationship had somehow shifted from being 'cute' in their minds to something more serious. A lot of the others our age have begun to be a bit more relaxed on the rules of being intimate before getting married, and many of the elders were not happy about it. I suppose in some way, I can see where they are coming from. They are hoping Astrid and I would set the example, seeing as how most of the younger kids at least looked up to us. After all, we were their dragon trainers.

I had spent my day being literally dragged around the island by my father. Christening a ship, saying a prayer for a child's birthday that Thor would protect them for many years to come, putting the last ceremonial nails into a few houses, nothing out of the ordinary. I knew this is what needed to be done, but there were a million other things on my mind as well. We had a whole new crop of students for the Dragon Riding Academy, and they would need saddles and other supplies. I needed to sit down and come up with some designs for the new kids, and see if Gobber wanted to help me get some of them ready.

Of course, everywhere I went I was getting some looks from the elders in the village. Most didn't say much, but a few of the more bold Vikings clued me in to what was going on. Of course, Snotlout was the first to drill me on my whereabouts for the morning and part of the afternoon.

"So, Hiccup… rumor has it you were out with Astrid all morning." He said accusatorially. He had a smirk on his face and an obnoxious glint in his eye, but I knew part of him was still jealous that Astrid had chosen me over him. "Some are even saying you were with her all night. Ooooh!" he said in a sing-song voice.

"Oh, don't even start with me, Snotlout." I said, bringing the palm of my hand to my forehead in exasperation. "What in the Hel would make you, or anyone else, think we were together _all night_?"

"Oh, you know, there are some Vikings around here… who will remain nameless," He added, looking around suspiciously, "who noticed this morning that you and Astrid were both gone, along with your Dragons. No one saw you leave, and they were up pretty early." He winked at me with his same obnoxious grin.

"Oh for the love of Gods, everyone knows Toothless and I go for a ride as soon as the sun is up!" I said, with a shake of my head.

"Just so you know, at this point, everyone pretty much thinks that there will be no surprises on your wedding night, if that ever happens." Snotlout snorted.

I looked up startled at my cousin. Normally I have no problems keeping it cool, but I couldn't have anyone tarnishing Astrid's reputation. "N… now listen here, Snotlout. I don't ever want to hear you talking like that again! First of all, what happens between Astrid and I, well… it's our own business, no one else's." Astrid's words rang in my ears from earlier that day. "And… and second of all, nothing has happened to ruin anything about our 'wedding day', I would never do anything to let down my father, Astrid's parents, the village…" My voice trailed off. I realized as I was talking, that I seem more worried about letting down everyone else, and not about the one person I actually cared about. "I gotta go." I said, looking down at the ground and tucking in my bottom lip while the realization hit me. Snotlout just stood there dumbfounded.

I found my dad and asked if we were done for the day. He took one look at my face and relieved me of my duties for the night. I had to go find Astrid. I'm sure she has been bombarded with the same rumors, and she is probably pretty angry. In fact, I knew exactly where she would be.

So here we are, in the glen. Astrid having just destroyed a significant portion of tree life out of frustration, and me struggling to find my balance and my truth. She took my hand, and I knew that from now on, I needed to focus on what Hiccup and Astrid want. Not my dad. Not my villiage. Just… us.

* * *

It had been a long flight. Maybe too long. I found that I surprisingly didn't care. Astrid had gripped my hand tightly, back at the glen, eyes full of desperation. "Anywhere but here." She had said softly. How could I deny her? "I… We… we just need to get away for awhile."

We'd hopped on our dragons and rode until the sun was barely visible on the horizon. We had just spotted another island, and it was just in time. Both Astrid and I were getting tired, and the dragons could definitely use the break. I looked at Astrid at the same time she looked at me, and knowing each other as well as we did, drifted down to the island in an unspoken agreement. It was small, but plenty of trees for shelter. It would do for the night.

I really didn't know how long we planned to be gone. We still had responsibilities after all, but we would stay gone long enough to get away, to clear the village out of our heads and recharge. The dragons landed eagerly, thankful to be done with our long journey. The island looked empty enough. We didn't immediately spot any dragons or villages along its shoreline.

In silence, Astrid and I hopped off our dragons and took each other's hands. We both walked inward towards the safety of the tree line. There was a heat in our touch. I could feel an urgency rising inside me. The longer we rode, the more I was letting myself indulge in the idea of Astrid and me spending the entire night together. Even if nothing happened tonight, just the thought of holding her all night away from everyone was enough to fill my heart. I think Astrid felt it too.

In an ironic twist, everyone back on Berk had thought we'd spent the previous night together even though we hadn't. We'd been given disappointed scowls from the elders of the village, and even my own dad and taken me aside to remind me to be careful. Now here we are, basically fulfilling the assumptions everyone had made. It was just like Astrid to rebel just to prove that no one controlled her. It wasn't so much like me. I had spent so long trying so hard to fit in, that it made me very nervous to be going against the wishes of the village now.

I looked at Astrid in the moonlight. She looked so beautiful with her blonde hair illuminated with the silver shine of the moon. Her bright blue eyes seemed to stand out among the darkened landscape around us. "No turning back" I said as I squeezed her hand.

"No turning back." She agreed.

We walked on as the dragons played and ran around us. We eventually came to a spot that looked like a good place to stop for the night. The terrain was rocky and there were several boulders surrounding a small clearing which provided some shelter. We sat against a stony wall and Astrid pulled out the pack she had hastily packed right before we left. She pulled out the blanket from earlier, along with a few pieces of bread and some containers of water. Together, we dined on our modest dinner. The dragons had found a nearby stream, just within view of our makeshift shelter, and took the opportunity to find their own provisions.

We sat in silence for a long time. It was another thing I loved about our relationship; we felt completely comfortable holding each other while lost in our own thoughts. The view from our spot was actually pretty spectacular. Above us a tree limb hung over, providing a little protection from above, but not so much that we couldn't see the stars peeking through. The boulders and rocky terrain surrounded us, and the view of the bright blue stream was out in front of us, with our dragons laying lazily along the shore. I felt like the wind was even singing a slow and steady song just for us, to help calm our nerves. It was peaceful and beautiful. Exactly what we needed.

As if hearing my thoughts, Astrid raised her head from my chest to look up at me. "Hiccup?"

I smiled at her. "What, sweetie?" I reached down to sweep some stray hair away from her face so I could see her beautiful eyes.

"I'm REALLY glad we decided to do this."

Her words were so sincere and genuine, that I couldn't help but smile. I nodded in agreement and pulled her closer to me.

"I love you, Astrid." I said it so easily, but this was technically the first time I had said those words, just like that, and for a second I almost regretted just blurting it out. _Good going Hiccup_, I thought to myself, _that was probably not exactly the romantic way that Astrid imagined you would tell her you loved her, in the middle of nowhere, lying on the ground_. I mentally beat myself up for my nonchalant way of telling my girlfriend that I love her.

Much to my surprise, instead of getting mad, Astrid reached her hand to my face, cupping my cheek in her palm. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddick III: I, Astrid Hofferson, love you, and will love you for the rest of my life." She peered intensely into my eyes. Her declaration was so formal and heartfelt.

Nothing else needed to be said. She wrapped her arms around me and we began to kiss, the kind of kiss that normally causes us to lose control. Normally this kind of kiss puts me on alert, in case I needed to be strong and stop us. But this time? This time was different. I let myself get lost in our passion.

**To be continued…. **


	4. Chapter 4: A Secret Tryst

**Authors Note: It's funny how these stories evolve themselves and don't go where you expect. I had actually started this particular story intending to make Hiccup and Astrid wait until marriage to make love, but… here we are. I guess I'm just too inpatient! Time to put my M rating into use! Happy reading!**

**Also, 2 in one night, I'm kind of on a roll! Please feel free to review. :)**

"I love you, Astrid"

His words rang through my ears. It's not that I didn't already know he loved me, because I did. We'd just, never actually said it yet. I couldn't even help myself after hearing him. I just had to proclaim my own love back to him.

I was so thankful right now that Hiccup seemed to know exactly what I needed. He knew I needed to get away, just us, before the pressures of the village drove me insane. I love that he'd set aside his own insecurities and need to please everyone to focus on what I needed. I knew he needed to get away too, he was just afraid to admit it, maybe even to himself.

I didn't know how long we would stay secluded away from the village. We were hours away. Also, depending on the backlash we might get when we do go back, I realized that this may be the only time we do this, at least until after we are married and everyone calmed down about our whereabouts. I wanted to take advantage of having Hiccup's full attention.

We held each other and I kissed him. I could feel my breath quickening as he kissed me back. My stomach filled with butterflies and I could feel a rush of passion resonate through my body, dropping down and spreading through my sex as I kissed him. He kissed me back just as passionately. Normally this is the part where he would start to pull back, but he didn't. For just a moment, I was almost scared, maybe nervous. I had never really thought of what might happen once Hiccup let go of his attempts at control. At the same time I felt the thrill of what could be run up my spine.

I tested the waters gently to see if he really had let his guard down. I slid my hands up into his hair, caressing him while our kiss continued. I rose up onto my knees and carefully swung one leg over his which were outstretched, facing him. My head was now above his and I had to lean down to continue our kiss. It was a position of power, and at this moment, I felt like the queen of the night, taking what I so desperately needed.

I half expected Hiccup to stop us, but he didn't. His kiss intensified. His hands ran down my back. Involuntarily, I moaned from the sensation, throwing my head back. Hiccup leaned forward and kissed my neck, sucking and kissing up and down. It sent my body into hot convulsions. I began to rock slowly into him, letting my own instincts take over.

Hiccup paused a moment from kissing my neck to sweep my hair back off my shoulders. I looked down at him and noticed he was looking up at me. "What?" I asked, the corners of my mouth twitching into a smile.

"Astrid… you, you are just so beautiful." He said, bringing his hand up to my cheek. He reached up and kissed me again, and ran his hand down my neck, down the front of my shirt, letting them sweep gently over my breasts. The sudden intimacy of his touch sent me reeling. Gods, I loved when he touched me.

I reached down and tugged at Hiccup's tunic. I pulled it over his head, revealing his small but perfectly defined muscular chest and shoulders. I ran my hand along the lines, bending to trace of trail of kisses down his neck and shoulder. His own breathing was getting heavier now. I knew at this point, Hiccup wouldn't stop whatever might happen. I didn't know how far we were going to take this, but I intended to go as far as whatever felt right.

Hiccup removed my shoulder armor and then tugged gently at my shirt. He looked at me sheepishly, as if to ask if it was ok. Grinning to myself, I reached down and removed it myself, to prove it was. I knelt in front of him, totally nude from the waist up, watching his expression. His eyes widened and then stared intently at my naked breasts. He reached his hands out and gently caressed them. The feel of his hands on my breasts sent ripples of pleasure through me.

"Oh hiccup!" I moaned. "I needed this so badly. I needed you. Us."

"I know, babe." He replied with his own moan, staring intently at his current job. He certainly knew how to use his skilled and limber fingers to touch me in all the right ways. He leaned forward and kissed me, right on the gentle mound of my nipple, and then opened his mouth and began to suck, bringing the sensations all at once rushing through me. I moaned in pure ecstasy of this perfect moment.

After a few moments of intense pleasure, Hiccups hands sliding up my thighs under my skirt, I couldn't take it anymore. I swung my leg off of him so I was beside him. I tugged at his pant laces until they loosened enough that I could pull them down. Hiccup was already ready and hard for me. I kissed him passionately on the lips before rubbing my hands up and down his shaft. "Astrid!" He whispered, obviously enjoying my taking charge of his pleasure. The feel of his hardness against my hand was causing my own yearnings to stir inside me.

Out of nowhere, Hiccup grabbed me, and in one surprisingly graceful motion, I found myself on my back, Hiccup on top of me. I was shaking and so was he. He pulled my skirt down and tossed it aside, and pulled his own pants down to his knees. He stared at me for a moment as I panted with need. He placed his finger on my mouth, tracing my lips before bending down briefly to kiss them, then he ran his hand down my neck, chest, and stomach. I arched my back in response to his touch, all the way down to my own sex. He rubbed his fingers outside of me, feeling my readiness. He tested the waters with his skilled fingers. I moaned and writhed under his touch. He leaned down after I was sufficiently ready.

"Astrid, my love," He whispered into my ear, hands still rubbing up and down my body, "I… I'm leaving this up to you." He kissed me again, shaking. "I'm almost to a point of no return, I need to know. What do you want to do?"

I writhed up against him, feeling his knees between my legs, rubbing my hands down his chest, grasping his manhood into my hands and gently stroking. I pulled him down closer. I whispered "Hiccup, at this moment, I've never wanted anything more in my life." I truly meant it.

We were both shaking. "Me too," He whispered back, "But Astrid, if we do this, there is no turning back."

"No turning back" I whispered back again, echoing our earlier conversation.

He kissed me again. "Ok, Astrid, you just tell me if it hurts, but I have to be honest, the way I feel right now, I'm not sure I can control myself much."

"Then don't." I whispered. I could feel him so close to me, I wanted him so badly. I wanted to feel him inside of me.

He lowered himself down to meet me, and rubbed himself onto me. A few strokes on the outside, like he was trying to acclimate to the feeling of our skin touching. Then he slid inside me. It was such a strange feeling. I did partly feel pain, and I sucked in my breath sharply from the surprise.

"Astrid, are you ok?" He paused. We were both still trembling.

"Please, Hiccup, just keep going." I pleaded.

He thrust all the way inside, and I felt pleasure like never before. Slowly at first, and then our tempo began to speed. As he thrust inside me, I writhed and rocked against his every move, moaning his name.

"Oh Astrid!" He cried out, "I told you I couldn't….."

I placed a finger on his lips to quiet him. "Don't…" I began, "It was perfect."

And with that, Hiccup and I became one. We rolled ourselves up in my blanket, and fell fast asleep, wrapped up in each other's arms.


	5. Chapter 5: Hiccup Takes Control

Chapter 5: Hiccup takes control

I awoke sometime in the middle of the night. Astrid and I were a tangle of legs and arms, naked, and wrapped in her blanket. For a moment I just laid there and soaked it all in.

For once, I had let myself lose control. I decided that Astrid had to become the number one person in my life. I had spent so much time hearing my dad's voice, telling me what was right, what was honorable. I'd let the Vikings of the village dictate my actions. I listened to their definitions of honor, and I believed them. Seeing Astrid break down in the glen, it made me realize that the only person I needed to worry about honoring… was her.

I had blurted out that I loved her, in what I thought was a completely unromantic and idiotic way to share with her my feelings, but it turned out to be the exact perfect moment. After making love to her, I realized that there was no better way to honor her, to worship her. I loved making her feel good, and I loved the way she made me feel. No turning back, no regrets.

I lay in the moonlight, watching her sleep. She had a quiet smile on her face. I glanced around and found Toothless and Stormfly snoozing nearby. Even though they were asleep, I knew they were always on watch. Toothless was just as protective of me as I was of Astrid.

After taking a thorough scan of our surroundings just to make sure we were still safe, I laid my head back down, facing her. We both lay on our sides, facing each other, legs intertwined. I took the opportunity to look her up and down and admire her beautiful, naked body while she slept. Before I even realized what I was doing, I found my hand gently stroking her shoulder, down her arm, and back up again. As I felt her sweet, soft skin beneath my fingers, I could feel myself becoming aroused again. When we had made love, it had been somewhat brief. I knew it was fairly normal. As uptight as the villagers could be about sex, when the men gathered to celebrate an upcoming wedding, stories of what to expect and other wedding night advice flowed freely.

My arousal was starting to take more of my attention. I had just decided to try to ignore it and just go back to sleep when I felt Astrid start to stir. Her eyes blinked open and she looked at me. Once she had a chance to remember where she was, she smiled.

"Are you watching me sleep?" She asked, a hint of smile twitching at her lips.

Instead of answering her, I simply leaned forward and kissed her. "You never cease to amaze me," I whispered into her ear. I looked deep into her eyes, and she looked back in mine, looking somewhat surprised. I nudged her with my hips, as if to clue her in on how I was feeling and a smile spread across her lips.

"How… why?" She said, but I could hear the hitch in her breath. Feeling me against her was making her want me again too. I loved that I could affect her like that. I simply shrugged and kissed her again. This time I was going to take control. I moved on top of her and she brought her arms up over my shoulders, running her hands down my back. I reached up and grabbed her hands, pushing them behind her head and holding them down on the ground behind her. I leaned down as she was completely helpless and deepened my kiss, our lips parting and our tongues exploring. The electricity was intense. I let go of her hands and she left them over her head, remaining completely submissive. It was so alien to me, her letting me take control like this, and I was really enjoying the trust she was putting in me. I ran my hands down her outstretched arms lying behind her on the ground, down her shoulders, down her beasts, and back up again. The second time I came down, I followed my hands with kisses. I could see the effect my touch and lips were having on Astrid. Her eyes were closed and she responded to my every move. I was on my knees with her legs spread on either side of me, knees bent up around me. I ran my hands down her sides, down her thighs. I bent to kiss the inside of her left thigh, and then her right. I began to work my way down to the sweet spot between her legs, kissing her gently at first, and more intensely as she quivered and gasped in response.

After a few minutes of making sure I did a thorough job of pleasuring her, she became more vocal about her needs. "Please, hiccup," she said, "I'm ready for you now, I want you so incredibly bad." The throbbing of my arousal told me that I wanted the same, so I rose up slowly, nibbling her hip bone, kissing her stomach, taking her breast into my mouth with a soft lick of my tongue over her nipple, and made my way up her neck before kissing her again on her beautiful lips. I got myself into position and thrust myself inside of her. She was so warm and wet, wrapped around my most intimate area. With every thrust, Astrid writhed and rocked her hips towards me. I could feel the pleasure building and building inside me, but I was determined to make sure she experienced her release as well.

I alternated between slow and sweet, and hard and fast thrusting to help tame my own rhythm. I didn't know how much longer I could hold it back, but suddenly Astrid let out a loud scream and I could feel her sweet muscles tighten and contract around me. I was vaguely aware that Astrid's climax had awoken the dragons, but at that moment all I could feel was the rush of my own climax. Shaking, I collapsed onto Astrid, both of us breathing heavy and holding on for dear life.

After a few moments had passed and we were able to retain our composure, I looked over to Toothless to see him looking at me startled. He walked over to me cautiously and nuzzled at my shoulder, as if to ask if everything was ok. "Don't worry, Bud." I said with a laugh as I rubbed his head with affection. "We are just fine, go back to sleep." He gave me a look that seemed like he got the picture, and he settled back down. I turned to look at Astrid and we both began to laugh at the fact that we had awoken the dragons.

Astrid yawned sleepily snuggling back into my arms. "That was well worth being awoken in the middle of the night." She said, with a grin on her face. Before I knew it, we had both fallen back asleep.

* * *

I awoke to the sun shining. I was naked, but alone. I sat up with a start and saw Astrid in the stream, rinsing off the dirt from the night. The stream looked inviting, as it was uncharacteristically warm for the morning. I stood up carefully, realizing I had left my peg leg on all night, so my stump was a little sore. I walked over to the shore and sat near the edge, removing my prosthetic and setting it carefully within sight. I slid into the water and it felt as amazing on my bare skin as it looked. Astrid heard my splashing and turned and smiled.

"Good idea." I smiled at her. "It feels great in here. I honestly feel like I could stay here with you forever." I floated toward her, hobbling along the bottom with my only foot. The water even felt great on my sore stump.

"I know." She responded. She met me half way and we wrapped our arms around each other in a slippery embrace. We held this for a moment as I breathed in the smell of her hair.

"I managed to catch a few fish." She boasted, pointed to a pile of fish along the shore. "I already gave Stormfly and Toothless a fair amount. I thought we could roast a few for breakfast, and then…" Her voice trailed off.

"Then... we probably need to head back…" I finished. She looked at me and nodded. Neither of us really wanted to go back, but we knew we had to. We took a quick swim in the stream, the morning taking a playful mood as our swim turned into more of a splashing war. After several minutes of relaxing and casual water fun, we decided it was time to eat some of Astrid's fish.

We got dressed and I grabbed a few large branches and broke them in half with Astrid's ax. I piled them together and motioned for Toothless' help. He was more than happy to oblige to start a small fire for us. We roasted some fish and ate our breakfast happily together. We kept exchanging goofy grins and it seemed we couldn't stop giggling. It was like now we knew each other inside out, more intimately than ever before. It was a good feeling. As we finished up eating. I took her hand and squeezed it. She smiled knowingly at me and squeezed back. We knew exactly how we were going to deal with Berk if anyone gave us any trouble when we got back.

It was time to go home and face whatever consequence might come.


	6. Chapter 6: The Green Monster

**Authors Note: I really battled myself before writing this chapter. I had completely meant to just write fluff, but this story is practically evolving on itself. This idea kept creeping into my head and I couldn't ignore it, So, we are going to get a little heavy, but don't worry, it'll be ok! (Anyone know how to change the title of a story? Bleh) **

Chapter 6: The Green Monster

_Why is Astrid up so early today?_ I thought to myself. Hiccup is usually up about now for his morning ride with Toothless, but the rest of us usually sleep in a little later, since Dragon Academy didn't start until the sun was showing just over the east crest of the mountain. Toothless was the only dragon who couldn't go out on his morning ride alone, like the rest of our dragons, so Hiccup was the only one who was forced to wake up this early. Ha! Better him than me. Since he gets the coolest dragon, he should have at least some drawbacks.

Still, watching Astrid sneaking a few pieces of chicken to Stormfly before taking off towards the Great Hall, I could feel my insides squeeze with jealousy. She only fed Stormfly chicken when she was hoping to keep up with the "Almighty Night Fury" and his rider "The Pride of Berk". Psshht. Lame. I've been noticing that Hiccup and Astrid are getting serious. Way serious.

I grew up with Hiccup. He was always just… Hiccup. He was good for being the butt of my occasional jokes, and it was fun to beat him every year at Thawfest. Beat… heh, more like, embarrassingly annihilate. Good times… for me.

When we started dragon training, and out of nowhere he pulled ahead and was the best of all of us, to say I was surprised was, well… an understatement. But worst was seeing _Astrid_ kiss him after defeating the Red Death. Astrid was supposed to end up with me. I had it all planned. I was going to be chief, with Astrid as my bride. I was really going to bring honor to the house of Jorgenson.

While it was _customary_ for the chiefdom to go to the Chief's son, technically the chief could choose to pass the torch to whomever they felt would do the best job. With Hiccup being such a loser before, I was the next likely choice. We were both descendants of the great Hiccup Horrendous Haddack, I. We both have a right to rule the clan of Hairy Hooligans. I felt myself solidly in line. But then everything changed when Hiccup shot a night fury out of the sky and became the first Viking to ride a dragon. My blood boiled just thinking about it.

At first, I was just happy to be part of the experience. As a young kid, I only daydreamed about the idea. I had become close to Hiccup during our time training to fly dragons, and had even grown to respect him. I had given up on the idea of being chief. Sometimes seeing all the responsibility Stoick had around the village seemed a little too intense for me. I liked the idea of being one of the few dragon riders of Berk bold enough to tame the great Monstrous Nightmare. I had my own status and role within the community without needing the responsibilities of running the village.

What really boiled my blood now was seeing Astrid and Hiccup together, and so happy. Puke. When we were younger I could tell myself that it would never last. I was able to ignore it. But since Astrid turned 18 a few months ago, Hiccup had confided in me his plans to ask her to marry him. He didn't specify when, but it was just a matter of time. The entire future I had in my head was crashing at my feet. Astrid was the last thing I was holding out on.

I don't really know why I did it. I guess if I were a weak man, like Hiccup, I would just suffer in silence. I didn't know that I could really break Hiccup and Astrid up. They'd been through a lot together and there were a million times that their experiences SHOULD have broken them, but instead they seemed to always come out the other side with an even stronger relationship than ever. It was infuriating. No, instead, I just took pleasure in trying to make life a little bit more difficult, putting stress on their relationship. I had known through Ruffnut that Astrid and Hiccup and not had sex yet because Hiccup was worried about what the village might think. Apparently Stoick had sat Hiccup down and had quite the heart to heart with him about the birds and the bees and doing the right thing. Ha! What a sap. It was an antiquated idea, waiting until marriage to have sex. It was just like Hiccup to worry more about what his father thought of him than his own girlfriend's… well, needs. Oh, they were caught plenty of times over the last few years getting hot in heavy, I knew he wasn't exactly saintly in that department. But, they hadn't gone all the way because of Hiccup's need to keep the peace in the village.

So on this particular morning, I called out to Hookfang and quietly followed Astrid to hiccup's house, keeping my distance. I followed them above the cloud cover and watched as they cuddled up together in the cave, and went back to the village to make sure everyone knew they were both gone. It was perfect. The elders may not have cared so much, but I made sure to make a pretty big show of the story. They certainly didn't want the younger kids to get any ideas, they liked to at least keep the charade of chastity going for the younger kids.

My plan was working until I saw the light bulb go off in Hiccup's mind while I was teasing him. He and Astrid had actually ran off for the entire night. My plan had completely backfired on me! I waited a few hours and then had Hookfang track them. They didn't make it easy, they went really far! My backside was aching as my nightmare finally indicated that we had come close to where they were. We flew stealthily over the island and I finally caught a peak of them.

Astrid? Was that really her? I squinted in the dark and I could see her blonde hair, only partially shielded by an overhanging branch. It looked like she was sitting on top of Hiccup's lap. _Oh Gods_! I realized, my stomach dropping instantly. Astrid is naked, I can see her bare back facing Hiccup. Oh Gods, did I just drive them straight into each other's arms? I had Hookfang go in just a little bit closer, but not too close. I got just close enough to confirm that they were definitely making love. I could feel my chest tighten. It was over. That was the one and only wedge between Astrid and Hiccup. I directed Hookfang back to Berk.

I don't know exactly how, but somehow, I will make them pay.


	7. Chapter 7: Facing the Music

**Author's note: I am REALLY appreciating all the encouraging feedback I'm getting. Thank you everyone! Happy Hiccstridding!**

Chapter 7: Facing the music

Leaving the island was the hardest thing I've had to do in a long time. I had grown fond of it in the few hours we were here. Hiccup and I decided to secretly nickname it _Dragon's Tryst_.

Hiccup had held me close, holding my face in the palms of his hands and kissing me, hard. We had decided to ride back together on Toothless and let Stormfly fly beside us alone. Neither of us wanted to break our intimacy. We wanted to soak up every last second until we got back to Berk. Neither of us knew what to expect when we got back, but for at least a few more hours, he was mine.

I was sitting behind Hiccup, arms wrapped around his waist, I had my head resting against the back of his shoulder, and just focused on breathing, on being in the moment with Hiccup. I wanted to remember every second of this flight. He seemed focused, partly from helping Toothless fly, but probably also trying to figure out every possible scenario when we get back to Berk, and how he was going to react. I held out a tiny hope that maybe no one would have noticed. Well, not no one. Stoick would certainly have noticed that Hiccup didn't come home, but he would not have told anyone else. He would simply wait until Hiccup was home and take him aside privately. My own parents would be worried, and I might get a few questions, but that could possibly be the extent. The only thing we were worried about was if somehow gossip had spread through the village like dragonfire.

I peaked over Hiccup's shoulder to see the familiar shoreline of Berk. _Here goes nothing_, I thought to myself, squeezing Hiccup tighter. He put his hand over mine and squeezed it back, peeking over his shoulder at me.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I said, sitting up straight, squaring my shoulders, and taking a deep breath.

We landed non-eventfully. Stormfly had landed just before us and turned to squawk at me. The dragons definitely needed a break after all the flying the last few days, and so I nodded to her to let her know she was free to do what she needed to do. She bounded off happily. Hiccup dismounted from Toothless first, adjusting his peg leg to the walking setting as he hit the ground. He reached for my hand, and for once I took it and let him help me down. I felt weak in the knees, for more than one reason. He looked at me and gave me a tight smile, and I returned his look. We began to walk hand in hand towards the Great Hall for lunch.

We were about half way there. I was starting to feel relief at the fact that we hadn't been bombarded yet, when Snotlout on Hookfang flew towards us and landed just ahead of us.

"The jig is up" he said, looking smug as usual.

"What are you talking about?" was Hiccup's annoyed response.

"Everyone knows exactly what happened last night. Your parents were worried sick… until this morning anyway." He narrowed his eyes at us.

I felt Hiccup stiffen next to me. "You?" He said through clenched teeth. "You've been the one behind all the gossip, haven't you?"

"Heh, oh Hiccup," Snotlout mocked, "Did you really think I would just happily stand aside while I watched you slowly take away what was supposed to be _my_ life? And they say I'm the dumb one." He turned his attention toward me. "You know, Astrid, you could have had _all this_. Such a shame, you really deserve to be with a _real_ Viking." He said, flexing his muscles before turning and flying away.

Hiccup and I looked at each other. Our grip on each other's hands tightened. The Great Hall stood just a few feet before us, and we knew everyone would be inside having the midday meal. _Everyone_. It would be a lot, to deal with everyone at once. But together, we could take a stand. Here and now. For each other. We would make sure we never had to explain ourselves to anyone again.

He looked at me, lips tight. "No turning back now." He took a large breath to puff out his chest. If our situation hadn't been so serious, I might have giggled at how adorable he looked trying to look big and tough. I nodded my head back to him in agreement, feeling a rock form in the pit of my stomach. We walked hand in hand into the Great Hall, our heads held high.

The tall door seemed twice as tall as we pushed it open, letting all the outside light spill in. Nearly everyone in the hall turned to look at us, but for the most part, people continued on their conversations. A few curious eyes held their gaze at us, and some people turned to each other and began speaking in hushed tones, but we decided to ignore them. We went and got our plates and found a table off by ourselves. It seemed the best plan was not to bring too much attention to ourselves. If we could avoid a large public scene in front of the whole village, that would be best.

We'd both taken a couple of bites when Stoick rose from his spot at the round table and made his way to us. I could feel the butterflies fluttering in my stomach. He sat down across from Hiccup and me, looking sternly at us both.

"Hiccup. Astrid." He looked from Hiccup to myself. "I need to speak with the two of ye after lunch. Alone." I gulped.

"Of course, Dad." Hiccup responded without a hint of wavering in his voice. "We will be there directly."

"Good." He said, in a hushed tone uncharacteristic of his normally booming voice. "I will see the two of ye soon."

As he got up to leave, I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. Hiccup looked like he was completely composed. I was the only one who knew how nervous he really was, since his hand still hadn't left mine, and his grip on my hand finally loosened a bit once Stoick had left the Hall.

We finished our meals carefully, but quickly. We were both on high alert. Some people were stealing glances at us every now and then. It was hard to say exactly what Snotlout has told everyone. I was starting to get the sneaky suspicion that perhaps there was more to everyone's gossip than just whether or not we had been intimate with each other. It was all starting to make sense.

I felt like Hiccup was coming to similar conclusions as we put our dishes away and started making our way to meet with Stoick. We had just made our way out of the Great Hall, where most of the other Vikings were starting to mostly go about their day. He grabbed me once we were out of the open and turned me towards him, taking both of my hands in his.

"Whatever my dad might say, whatever Snotlout said… I have a feeling it's going to be bad. Way worse than just, whether or not we… we…" His voice trailed off as his eyes shifted to the ground.

"I know." I replied, wincing. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Whatever he says," Hiccup began, "No matter what crazy thing Snotlout is telling people, no matter how real it might sound… please..." His voice was beginning to stumble as he tried to find the way to word what he wanted to say. He had dropped one of my hands and held his arm nervously across his chest, gripping his opposite arm, as if shielding himself from some unknown hurt.

"Its ok, Hiccup." I replied, rescuing him from his stammering. I took my free hand up to cup his chin and bring his eyes back to mine. "I love you. I _trust_ you. No turning back." I saw a smile play at the corners of his lips. He looked so nervous, this time I did giggle. "Oh come on Hiccup, lighten up!" I teased, trying to perk us both up. "Whatever happens when we walk in there, it ends. Today." I said this last statement with far more self-confidence than I was really feeling.

We walked hand in hand into Hiccup's house where Stoick waited for us, with more than just a few curious Viking eyes following us. Stoick was sitting in his chair by the hearth and saw us walk in. He gestured to the chairs in front of him to tell us to sit down. We both sat nervously, hands clutched tightly.

"Son… Astrid," He began, taking a deep breath, "As ye weel know, the village has been alight with gossip about the two of ye, for a while now. Ye know that all eyes are on ye, and ye are held to a higher standard than the rest, and for that, I am sorry. I know it's been tough, with the two of ye being so much in love." He took another deep breath as Hiccup and I looked at each other in surprise. He caught our shocked looks and said, "What, ye don't think I know what it looks like when two people are in love, aye?"

"So, that is why I felt the need to bring ye here, to talk to ye," He continued. "The rumors are worse than ye know. I hate to hear some of the things they say." He paused, looking down and then up at me, "Especially about ye, Astrid." He confessed, "Ye've become like a daughter to me. Listen, I've done what I could, to try to quiet everything, but I feel ye have a right to know."

I gulped. Even though this was going better than I expected, with Stoick being surprisingly understanding, I knew it was coming. What horrid rumor has Snotlout been spreading? Has he been saying that I'm pregnant? Maybe they think we are into something weird, like ritualistic animal sacrifices, or something I'd never even heard of. I braced myself and tightened my grip on Hiccup's hand, pressing my lips firmly together to brace myself.

"Son, the rumor going around is that ye n'ver intend to marry Astrid." He let out in one breath. "They are saying ye are just using her, fer the way she ignored ye when ye were younger." He looked back and forth between us.

"Dad, that's not true!" Hiccup stood up looking agitated. He looked back at me, eyes wide, "Astrid, you… you know that's not true!"

I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward me, sitting him back down beside me and putting a finger to his lips to quiet him. "shhhh." I soothed. "I know."

"That's really just the tip of the iceberg," Stoick continued. "It is also spreading that Astrid is only with ye for the status, dating the chief's son. That rumor also implies that she is trying to get pregnant, in order to trap ye, Hiccup. Everyone knows if that happened, ye wouldn't stray from her side, ye'd claim the babe."

Hiccup looked at me to see what my reaction would be. I simply gripped his arm tighter.

"And now..." Stoick continued, "The whole village knows ye've done the deed." We must have looked shocked and maybe even a little guilty, because Stoick began to laugh. "I'm not mad, son." He said to Hiccup. "I know ye kept it in as long as ye could. I know a father's advice is only so strong, a young boys hormones are often stronger. Honestly… I'm surprised it took ye this long."

His candidness was completely shocking to both of us

"But," he continued, "The village is convinced that Hiccup doesn't intend to marry ye, Astrid, and that is why they've been so against the two of ye coupling." He said, his face looking a shade redder. "What I can't figure out, is where this is all coming from." He said with a puzzled look in his eye, scratching beneath his hairy chin.

"We do." I stated. "Snotlout confronted us earlier."

Stoick's eyes grew wide. "That explains it!" he said as the light bulb went off in his head. He looked to his son and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Jealousy can be an ugly, ugly thing, son. We have to learn how to deal with jealousy quite often in our line of work. We are bigger targets. We have to work harder. Is it fair? Probably not. But we are Vikings. We take the good with the bad, and we don't complain about the lot in life we've been given. D'ye understand what I'm saying, son?"

Hiccup nodded. "So what do we do now, dad?"

"weel, now that ye kids have coupled, it will be harder to keep it from the village. Before it was easy to deny, but now we can't really deny it, can we? There's really only one thing we can do that will make them quit caring about all this nonsense."

"What is that, dad?" Hiccup said, gipping my hand again. "I'd do anything just so Astrid and I don't have to hide all the time. It's really getting to us." He said with his face full of concern as he looked in my direction.

"An engagement." Stoick said plainly, looking back and forth to each of us. "Ye don't have to get married right away, now, so don't get too worried. I know most of the villagers ye've seen get engaged have gotten married within the year, but what you don't know is that for the chief's son, engagements are meant to last a few more years. It takes a lot to plan a wedding of that caliber, and there are lots of arrangements to be made…" His voice trailed off.

Hiccup looked to me nervously. He'd already professed to me his intentions to marry me someday, but someday had seemed so far away. I suddenly worried that maybe he didn't want to marry me after all, maybe it was too soon for him. I already interfered so much with his duties and his inventions. Maybe…

Before I could finish that thought, Hiccup knelt down before me on one knee, took my hand in his, and said "Astrid Hofferson, love of my life, the one person," he paused, "well, human person, whose soul is reflected in my own. You know me better than anyone. You have stood by my side when no one else did. You will forever be my one and only. I can't imagine my life without you. Will you do me the honor of agreeing to marry me?"

My face broke out into such a wide grin I thought my face was going to break off, despite myself. He looked so nervous sitting down on one knee. I looked up at Stoick and he was smiling, tears welling in his eyes as he looked proudly at his son. Out of nowhere, my parents stepped inside the door, smiling as well, hands clasped to their mouths, and nodded in approval.

"Hiccup…. How, what?" I said in response to my parent's presence.

"I asked their permission to marry you the day you turned 18, Astrid." He said, still holding my hand and looking at me.

I asked them to be here, Astrid." Said Stoick. "I had a feeling that Hiccup would choose this, so I didn't want them to miss it." He had a smile in his eyes.

"Oh Hiccup!" I couldn't help myself. I threw myself on the floor, toppling him over on his back. "yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" I said, kissing him. Everyone clapped and cheered. As soon as Hiccup and I had regained our composure, I punched him in the arm.

"Wh…what was that for?" Hiccup asked defensively.

"For making me wait this long to actually propose!" I said, a smile in my eyes.

"That's my Astrid." He said ironically with a smile, rubbing his arm where I had punched him.

"Come." Said Stoick. "There are announcements to be made."


	8. Chapter 8: A simple plan

**A/N: Just a few notes this time. Again- thanks for the reviews! Its really keeping me going! Second, I know that Astrid's parents are never mentioned in the movies or series, and so I was being vague as possible about them, because I'm honestly not sure what the official story is there. Surely, she isn't an orphan? Maybe she is being raised by her uncle? (The one who was "frozen with fear" in one of the tv episodes?) idk. But, If we ever figure out the deal with her parents, I'll edit it appropriately. Certainly she has someone, right? **

**Also, This chapter completely evolved on its own. I had no idea what I was going to write when I sat down, but by the end I had myself shaking with Hiccstrid feels, so, that's gotta be a good sign, right? I'm thinking only a few more chapters left in this story. (Have I mentioned how adorable Hiccup is lately? Totally makes me wish I was a Viking named Astrid, and i'd like my own dragon as well as long as we are wishing for things) **

**Thanks again, and if you are enjoying, please feel free to leave a review, it really helps keep me motivated. **

* * *

Chapter 8: A simple plan

"An engagement"

I heard my father's words ring through my head. The best way out of our mess was an engagement. I wanted nothing more than to be engaged to Astrid. She was my world! I wanted everyone to know that she was mine. My mind flashed back to Dragon's Tryst Island, watching her give herself to me.

I glanced nervously at Astrid. The truth is, I would have proposed to her when we were 16. I would have asked her to marry me every day since the day she let me open my world to her and helped me discover that I was capable of crazy, stupid, and wonderful things.

The only thing holding me back was Astrid herself. She was so independent. She knows exactly who she is and makes no apologies. I knew if I asked her, she would say yes, but I worried that I would never be able to fully make her happy. I knew she wanted more out of life than just being the wife of the Chief's son (or chief for that matter).

At this moment, knowing what I know now, I could see why the village would so easily believe such a silly rumor, that I never intended to marry her. I'd had plenty of time and opportunities to propose. It had even been a few months since I'd officially obtain permission from her parents.

I glanced at Astrid as soon as my dad so abruptly suggested our engagement. The look in her eyes surprised me. Her eyes were wide with shock, but I could also detect a hint of hope and excitement. The moment I saw that look in her eye, giving so much of herself away to me. I knew it was time. I would set aside my own insecurities. I went for it.

After I proposed and she accepted, I couldn't stop smiling if I tried, not that I wanted to. I held her tight to me. My dad was pacing back and forth, going over all the plans. I could only half listen to him as my heart was pounding so hard in my chest that it was hard to hear anything else.

"… and then after the evening meal, I will stand up and address the hall…" I heard him saying, with Astrid's parents nodding excitedly in agreement. I tried my best to snap my attention back to my dad's booming voice, but all I could think about was the beautiful woman in my arms.

He had gone through all the plans. It seemed simple enough. He was right, of course, there was a lot of planning to be done even just for the announcement. It would be awhile before we could actually be married. After we were done, dad winked at me and said he'd see us at Dinner. He and Astrid's parents then left us alone together.

It was just me and Astrid. There was so much running through my head. Part of me wanted to grab her and hold her close. We had been through a lot in the past few days. We had given our bodies to each other, and now we are planning on giving our lives to each other. Soon the entire village would know, and we would be free. On the other hand, I suddenly felt shy and vulnerable. I felt that Astrid needed to know how I felt, before I could let her accept my proposal.

"Astrid?" I began slowly, "before we go into the Great Hall and announce to everyone our intentions, I just need to talk to you."

"Of course, Hiccup," She said, with her smile turning tight with a hint of worry, "What is it?"

I grasped both of her hands in mine. "Astrid, I.. I want you to know, w… why I waited so long to propose to you. You must have been wondering, you may even be wondering now, why I asked your parents a few months ago and still hadn't asked…" my voice trailed off.

"Go on, Hiccup." She encouraged, squeezing my hands, her wide blue eyes peering up into mine.

I took a deep breath. "I was, worried… even scared..." I began.

"Scared? What, did you really think I would say no? Hiccup!" Astrid interrupted. "Hiccup, I love you! I can't believe you would think I would say no!"

"Wait, Astrid, let me finish." She quieted down and took her hands out of mine, crossing her arms and looking down at the ground. I could feel her putting up her guard. "No, really listen," I said, grabbing her arm to turn her back toward me. "I didn't think I was good enough for you, ok!" It was the hardest thing I think I ever had to say. It brought everything rushing back to me. I was the village screw up, the one who didn't belong. I choked back a rush of emotion as the insecurities hit me hard. This time I turned away from Astrid, to hide the tears that I was desperately trying to fight from my eyes. "So, that's it, Astrid. I'm afraid I'm not good enough for you. One day, you'll wake up 5, 10, maybe even 20 years from now, and realize that you… you wasted your life… with me."

There was silence for a long while. It felt like eternity. I realized in the silence that I was breathing heavy. My eyes were shut tight. I focused on keeping my tears in check. Another way I was failing Astrid at being a strong Viking man. I was worried about what she was thinking. Was she coming to the realization that I had known deep down all along, that she deserved better than me?

The sounds of her footsteps behind me were soft and slow. She was walking towards me. I could feel her coming closer, and her hands slid around my stomach from behind and she rested her head on the back of my shoulder. I put my hands on top of hers, and we stayed embraced for a few minutes. I wasn't sure what she was going to say, and for a moment I thought she might be getting ready to end everything. I was bracing myself for the worst, and vowed to myself to let her go if she wished.

"Oh Hiccup." Astrid said, taking a deep breath. "Sometimes I forget that somewhere inside you, is still that awkward boy who never did anything right and only got in the way. I bet it's hard to escape him sometimes." She squeezed me tight and then without letting go, twisted herself around my torso, tucking her head beneath my arm, forcing me to raise up my arm around her and settle it back down around her shoulders. She was now facing me but slightly on my side.

"It's true," She continued, "You were a screw up. You aren't a big, burly Viking. You can't fight. You are nothing at all like what I wanted." My heart sank and I looked away from her. "Hiccup!" She said, grabbing my face and bringing it back toward her. "You are more. You are so much more than I could ever have dreamed of. You don't need to be a big, burly, fighting Viking, because you have it in here," She pointed to my head and smiled, "and also in here." She brought her hand down and held it over my heart.

"I'm sorry," she said with tears welling in her own eyes, "I'm sorry I didn't always see you for what you were when we were kids. I'm sorry I teased you. I'm sorry if I ever did anything to make you feel like you weren't good enough for me." She was fighting her own tears. "But Hiccup, you have to know, you've created a whole new world, a world of peace for us here on Berk. I Love you for everything you are, and I promise to give you my heart, my body, and my soul, for the rest of my life."

My heart was beating so fast, I didn't know what to say. I just took her hand that was placed over my heart in my own hand. "Are you sure?" was all I could manage to croak with my suddenly dry throat.

She pulled back and punched me in the arm, "Just TRY to stop me," She laughed, "Nothing could keep me from marrying you."

I couldn't help myself. I bent down to kiss her beautiful lips. She returned my kiss. I wrapped my arms around her. Neither of us were holding back our tears now. "I love you, Astrid." I whispered into her ear after breaking from the kiss. "Forever. And I can't wait until everyone knows." I paused, and looked deeply into her eyes, "I still don't know if I can make you happy, but I promise to spend the rest of my life trying."

"I can't wait, either." She whispered back, looking at me through the lashes of her half closed eyes. But I have a proposal for you too, Hiccup."

"And what is that, Milday?" I smiled against her lips as she came in for another kiss.

"How about one last tryst, while the village is still against us, well, as your dad so eloquently put it… coupling."

"First of all," I started, breathily, "Try to stop me." Astrid smiled.

"And second of all?" She asked, her own breath getting heavy.

"Let's not mention my dad right now."

And with that, I lead Astrid upstairs to my bed, where we made love for the last time as Astrid and Hiccup who were just dating. In a few short hours, the whole village would know us as Astrid and Hiccup, the betrothed.


	9. Chapter 9: A Lost Cause

Chapter 9: A Lost Cause

"Yep, I followed them all the way out there." I stated triumphantly, head held high, chest puffed out. _Eat your heart out, ladies_, I thought to myself, enjoying the attention I was getting. "I saw it with my own two eyes! So shameful, the two of them using each other like that!" They were eating it out of the palm of my hand.

"Uh, guys, I really don't think we should be talking about this." Fishlegs nervously looked left and right, fidgeting with his large Viking legs. "I mean, Snotlout, Hiccup and Astrid are our friends, and I don't think they would like us talking about them and their, uh, sex life." He gulped on the word sex. What a pansy boy. No wonder he and that stupid Meatlug get along so well.

"Yeah, I don't know, Snotlout," Tuffnut continued, "It was kind of fun at first just to tease them about their sexual adventures, or lack thereof, but it might be going too far… and if I'm saying that, well, that means something." Tuff crossed his arms and leaned back, eyeing me to see how I would respond.

"Oh, come on, guys," I replied slyly. "I'm just concerned about Hiccup and Astrid. I mean, poor Astrid, once it gets around that she is no longer chaste, and when Hiccup finally admits he doesn't intend to marry her, no one else in the village would ever consider taking her after that." I eyed my friends to see if they would push back. "Of course, I, Snotlout, greatest and most selfless Viking ever, would be willing to take Astrid, if she asked real nicely".

"Yeah right!" Ruffnut snorted, "You really think Astrid would settle for you when she has _Hiccup_? Forget the fact that he's a master dragon trainer, and apparently like, super smart, he's still the chief's son. Jeez, you are so dense sometimes." Ruffnut crossed her own arms across her chest, mimicking her brother's smug stance. In sync, the twins high fived at her insult.

"Yeah, well, that might be true, but I'm still master of the Monstrous Nightmare! Come here, Hookfang!" I whistled for Hookfang, but he just turned to look at me from the water trough he was drinking from and snorted, going back to drinking his water.

"Yeah, well, you just keep on drinking your water, that... that's what I wanted you to do anyway." I mentally kicked myself. "You guys are boring, I'm going to go talk to people that actually appreciate me." I turned to walk away.

"Good luck finding that!" I heard Tuffnutt call out behind me. The twins snickered and I heard Fishlegs let out a sigh.

What do they know, anyway? Some friends they are. As I walked to find someone that might actually care about my newest gossip, the sight of Astrid's naked body straddling Hiccup came crashing into my head. Uh, gross! I could feel m y chest tightening with hatred.

It didn't take long to find a group of younger villagers getting supplies together to go fishing. I told my fabulous story, and they hung on every word. "You mean, you actually _saw_ them!" came the surprised response from one of my audience members. "And he really told you he wasn't planning on marrying her, _ever_?" came the astonished gasp of another young lady in the group.

"Would I lie? Never. Also, I would never bed a woman I wasn't intending to marry." I said, winking at one of the young female villagers, only a few years younger than me.

I went about my day, feeling ecstatically happy. I had confronted Hiccup and Astrid when they finally got back. Maybe it was risky, now they'll know that I'm behind the gossip, but they DON'T know the nature of the gossip, I was certain of it. No one was bold enough to confront them outright. They think people are just upset about them being intimate before marriage. When they finally hear the real rumors, there is a good chance it will tear them apart. Hiccup can still be so insecure sometimes, hearing that Astrid is only with him for the status… I know he'll believe it. And Astrid? I know she has been wondering why Hiccup hasn't proposed to her yet. No, these rumors will tear at their very fabric. It was conniving, it was evil, it was so… so me.

When I saw Stoick take them aside to talk, I knew that he was probably ripping them a new one. He might even forbid them from seeing each other. Everything I've been working on for the last few months seemed to finally be coming together.

I was strolling around the village, minding my own business, when an unusual sound caught my attention. I looked up and realized I was right between the Great hall and the Haddock residence. I strained to hear, and realized quickly what I was hearing. Before, at the island, I was too far away to _hear_, only see. Now, I was hearing. That blasted flash of nude Astrid jumped into my mind and I began to feel sick to my stomach. I was hearing the unmistakable sound of a headboard hitting a wall, and it was coming from Hiccup's room. The steady rhythm of the "thunk, thunk, thunk" was hammering against my head. _Oh Gods_, I thought to myself, _I can't believe they would be so bold to actually do that, here, on Berk!_ I didn't want to continue to stand there, but I was frozen like a stone. _What should I do?_ What I really wanted to do was run away from the house and take refuge in my own home, or get away. But, I felt like I should bring this to someone's attention. If people went crazy just over the _rumors_ of the golden couple making love, actually hearing it could cause a riot. I quickly looked around but most villagers were beginning to ready our evening meal. I was trying to think of something else when I heard "Oh Hiccup!" waft down from the window above.

"Ok, that's enough. I'm outta here!" I said out loud to myself and turned tail to run for home. "Hookfang, where are you?" I called. For once that dumb dragon actually showed up. I hopped on and we went flying away. I needed time to think.

I'm not sure how long Hookfang and I were out, but I suddenly realized it was time for the evening meal. We made our way back to Berk and I headed into the Great Hall just a little after dinner already started. I looked around at all my fellow Vikings. Some exchanged knowing glances with me as they were thinking about our earlier gossip. I wondered if anyone else had heard them. I found the twins and Fishlegs sitting at one table, and surprisingly, Astrid and Hiccup were sitting at a table with Stoick and Astrid's parents. _That's weird_, I thought to myself_, usually they sit with us_. I shrugged off the thought. It was likely since they knew that I was behind some of the rumors. I was looking forward to teasing them a little, so they would think I wasn't so torn up by overhearing them. I sat with my friend and couldn't help but notice their weary glances at me, but I didn't care.

It was business as usual in the Great Hall, everyone was starting to finish up their meals when Stoick suddenly stood up.

"Everyone, I have an announcement I would like to make, if I can get yer attention" He began, voice booming. The entire hall went quiet in an instant. What could this be about? No major events were coming up, it wasn't quite time to start making our winter plans for the freeze, and we weren't battling dragons anymore? We all listened intently.

He gestured to Astrid's parents first, and they stood up with him. Could this really be what I think it is? "The Hofferson's and I would like to make an announcement. As ye are all likely aware, Hiccup and Astrid are 18 now, and Astrid has become as much of a daughter to me as, weel, me own daughter would be…" He began.

I could feel my chest tighten again, the world started to look a little woozy. This. Wasn't. Happening.

"So, it is without further ado, that I announce the proud engagement, of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, III, and Astrid Hofferson! They are to be married!"

The entire hall erupted into cheers. Hiccup and Astrid shyly stood up and nodded, holding each other's hands. As if on cue, Hiccup ceremoniously pulled Astrid in close and planted a kiss on her lips.

Stoick was going on about wedding arrangements and how with the winter coming and other major projects going on in the village, that the wedding might not take place until Hiccup and Astrid were 20, perhaps 21, but he urged everyone to give them their privacy and respect, as an official betrothed couple of Berk.

This all barely registered with me. No matter how long it takes for an actual wedding to take place, they are engaged, which completely kills my rumors. The Vikings of Berk would take their attention off of condemning the couple and start showering them with praises and well wishes. It was over. My last hope at even a tiny piece of my puzzle was gone. The chiefdom, the girl, the honor, the glory; gone. Where will my place within Berk be, now?


	10. Chapter 10: Keeping The Peace

**A/N: Housekeeping chapter, trying to tie in my story with the second movie. Just 1 more chapter to go! Sorry if this one isn't so exciting. **

Chapter 10: Keeping the Peace

The attention was just too much. Everywhere I went, no matter what I did, I was bombarded with well-wishing Vikings. Choruses of "Attaboy, Hiccup!" and "Oh Hiccup, we are so relieved to see you and Astrid betrothed!" came from everywhere I went. I could barely leave for my morning ride with toothless because everyone had come by to bestow their congratulations.

I couldn't fault them of course. I feel like the villagers of Berk have been rooting for us for a while. This attention was not something I enjoyed, but as the son of the chief, I have a certain duty to the people. Astrid had decided to join me again this morning on our ride. With all the attention we've been getting, I could definitely get used to her tagging along just so we can have a moment's privacy. Astrid, being the proud Viking that she is, seemed somewhat torn on all the attention. While she soaked up everyone's hearty congrats and well-wishes, she grew weary of questions and of having to paste a smile on her face. The truth is, both of us would have to get used to it. If I were to be chief someday, and she my wife, we would both have this duty to our people.

As wonderful and crazy as the last few days have been, they had also been emotionally draining. The highs and lows were not lost on Astrid. She went from anger and tears of frustration due to the gossipy and nosy Berkians, to nearly being held up on a pedestal. Plus, we both had a lot of our own duties we had been shirking, so we both knew that soon everyday life would resume. A new group of kids were starting Dragon Training soon. Honestly, they should have started a week ago. I'm sure they were excited to get started.

Astrid and I needed to work out some more details. I'm not even talking wedding details, those can wait awhile. I wanted to talk to her about quite a few things, and unfortunately, Snotlout was on my list.

When we had found a good place to rest from the ride, Astrid and I sat side by side on the sandy beach we had found, dragons playing and catching fish. As soon as we were settled she grabbed me tight. I grabbed back, taking a deep sigh of relief. "Finally," She had said with a smile, "Alone at last!"

"Astrid, I'm really worried about Snotlout." I hoped she could help me figure out the right thing to do. I had seen the look on his face in the Great Hall when our engagement was announced. He looked like he'd been punched in the face. I had always hoped his crush on Astrid would fade, we weren't wanting for other Viking lasses on the island around the right age. I guess the only problem was that the only other dragon riding eligible bachelorette was Ruffnut.

I felt Astrid sigh, more than I heard it. "I do understand, Hiccup. I knew you would be worried about him." She looked up at me, "it's just like you, to be more worried about how someone else is feeling than the fact that he tried to destroy us."

"Yeah… I know, that's probably really stupid of me." I shook my head and rolled my eyes at myself.

"No, Hiccup. Its one thing I admire about you. You really do care about your friends," she tightened her hug, "…even if they don't deserve it." She quickly added, with an ounce of annoyance in her voice.

"I just, whenever I think of Snotlout, I can't help but think back to something my dad had told me, back when Alvin and the Outcasts were trying to steal the dragon book. He and Alvin had been friends. Even if Snotlout isn't exactly my _friend_, he is family, and he has a right to be happy, too. I don't want to unknowingly give Berk another enemy, or cause a divide among the people." I was trying to work out my thoughts, hoping that Astrid would follow, and might have some helpful insight.

"I had never thought of it like that," Astrid said, looking up at me surprised. "Alvin and your dad were friends? Before he was outcast?"

"Yes," I told her, bending down to kiss her on the cheek, "I thought I had told you, but I guess I didn't."

We were abruptly taken away from our conversation as a soaking wet Toothless and Stormfly bounded towards us from the ocean, mouths full of fish, and water splashing everywhere.

"Whoa, whoa there Stormfly!" Astrid laughed and she tried to shake the water from her face and hair. We laughed for a moment, welcoming the break from the seriousness of our conversation. It didn't take long for the dragons to settle down to eat their fish happily.

"So…" Astrid began, begrudgingly bringing us back to the problem at hand, "Do you have any ideas?"

"A few." I began, scratching under my chin thoughtfully. "I was hoping to bounce them off of you."

She smiled as she reached for my hand, intertwining her fingers with mine. "I'm all yours."

So I told her some of my thoughts. I explained how ever since there has been peace on Berk, since we are no longer fighting Dragons, or Berserkers, or Outcasts, it just seemed that everyone needed an outlet, something to be excited about, to keep them from being interested in silly gossip.

"I hadn't really thought too much about that," Astrid had responded, "but you are right, of course. The people are used to exciting battles. But what does this have to do with Snotlout?"

"I'm getting there…" I began, getting nervous about what she would think of my idea. "So, I kind of noticed this during the last Thawfest, everyone seemed to get really hyped up, especially since we keep adding more and more dragon events…" My voice trailed off again.

"Yeah, and you still always let Snotlout win." Astrid retorted, cutting me off. She had more or less talked me into throwing the first Dragon Thawfest game to Snotlout after we discovered that it meant more to him than the rest of us. But in the years following, this had become a point of frustration because we couldn't stand his constant boasting. I had just come to learn that winning the game meant more to him than to me.

"So, this might seem a little, crazy, or different, but I was thinking maybe we should have dragon games more often?" I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, unsure of myself, "Something that would happen maybe once a week?"

"Hiccup that is a wonderful idea!" She punched me in the arm playfully. "It would give him something to do that he could be proud of, and it would give the people of Berk some excitement without having to gossip and seek excitement in each other's business!"

Her reaction told me that I must have had a good idea. Astrid was usually straight with me if I had a dumb idea.

"I thought maybe I could let Snotlout plan the details; where, when, the rules…" Astrid winced, "within reason of course!" I clarified. "We'd have to approve everything of course, but I think it just might help make this time of peace on Berk a little more… well, peaceful."

"And just think," I continued, starting to let myself get excited about the idea, "there is a lot of planning that could go into this. Stands would need to be built, along with structures for the games, it would be enough to keep everyone occupied for weeks."

"Hiccup…" Astrid began suspiciously, "This wouldn't be a ploy to take some attention off our engagement would it?"

I gave Astrid a knowing smile and winked at her. "Me? Never."


	11. Epilogue

**A/N: I actually did a lot of research for this scene. I mixed some traditions I found online with our own modern day traditions just to see how it would turn out. *HTTYD 2 SPOILERS* I thought this was a nice way to wrap up this story. Let me know what you think?**

Epilogue:

As I stood on the steps of the Great Hall, looking out to the crowd of my people, my mind flashed back to the day that we announced our engagement. That was 3 long years and what seemed like a lifetime ago. My dad had said it would take time to plan our wedding, but he could never have been able to predict everything that had happened in the next few years. He also had no idea that he wouldn't be here to see it. Thinking of my dad while I stood made me miss him even more. In a way, I felt like he was here with us. I could always hear his voice inside my head, reminding me of who I was, and giving me a hero to strive to become.

I glanced at my Mother, Valka, who was standing directly in front of the doors of the Great Hall, next to Gothi. Toothless was standing by my side, followed by Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Tuffnut. Everything was falling into place. Anytime now the ceremony would start. My mom placed her hand on my shoulder and nervously looked into my eyes,

"Everything alright, my son?" She asked. We had been reunited for so little time, yet she already knew me so well.

"I'm fine, Mom." I responded. "I just… really miss him."

She cupped my face and leaned in to kiss my forehead. "I know son. I know he wouldn't miss this for the world. He would be so proud of the man you have become."

I took in a deep breath. I can only hope that she was right. I was trying to clear my head when the crowd started to quiet down. I looked down the field and saw a group of young women walking towards the hall. The group of young village maidens began to walk up to the steps one by one, and bringing up the rear of the group, was Astrid, my soon to be bride. The small band of Viking musicians began playing music, while Astrid made her way ceremoniously toward the stairs. She was dressed in a flowing white linen gown with bands of leather wrapped elegantly around her waist. It was very different from her usual skirt, tights, boots, and shoulder armor. Her hair was down and a band of gold and stones ornamented her hair where normally her leather headband would sit. Her face looked fresh and beaming. As always, she took my breath away.

* * *

This was it. I could see Hiccup standing on the stairs, waiting for me. His mother was standing beside him, beaming proudly at her son. Toothless was standing beside hiccup to the other side, eyes wide and playful. I laughed to myself that Hiccup had insisted that Toothless be his best man. It was so… Hiccup… and it worked perfectly.

Hiccup was wearing his traditional chief's fur, dragon staff in hand. His mother had convinced him to wear his father's Viking hat. He looked so… grown up. He was going to be my husband in just a few short moments. My stomach did a flip flop just thinking about it. Slowly but surely, I made my way to Hiccup, and I faced him as we clasped hands in front of the village.

He leaned in and whispered, "You look beautiful." He smiled at me. His smile was tight though, it caused my chest to squeeze.

"Hiccup, are you ok?" I whispered back as everyone got ready for the ceremony. "Is it…" my voice trailed off.

"Yes, but its ok." He said, smiling back at me. "I just… I wish he were here."

"We all do, Hiccup" I replied, placing a hand on his brow to sweep away some stray strands of hair. It was true, Stoick's death had left such an impact on all of us. The events of that day would live in infamy on Berk.

We squeezed each other's hands for comfort, and Valka placed her hand on my shoulder and Hiccup's before pulling us in for a hug. Gothi stepped forward and raised her staff. It was time to begin.

"Wait, I almost forgot!" I said, and called out to Stormfly. It only took a few moments for the Nadder to swoop down next to me. "Good girl!" I said, giving my dragon friend an affectionate hug. We must have been quite a sight; Hiccup with his dragon, and me with mine. I gestured to Gothi and Valka to continue.

The crowd went silent and Hiccup and I faced each other, holding hands. My face was starting to hurt from smiling so hard, but I couldn't stop. He looked back at me with the steady and composed smile of a true chieftain. I couldn't help but think of how proud his father would be of the leader his son was becoming.

Gothi was making hand signals and gestures, with Valka translating the prayers to the Gods to bless our union. Gothi was training Valka in all her ceremonial duties so she could take over. This would be Gothi's last wedding, and Valka's first. Everyone knew this day was special.

I had nearly got lost in all the prayers to Thor and Freyja when Valka looked at us expectantly. It was time for our role in the ceremony. I turned to Stormfly to retrieve my family sword, and Hiccup turned to Toothless to grab the same. We exchanged our swords. I couldn't help but notice that Hiccup had found time to customize the sword he made for me. My name was inscribed on the handle, and he had balanced it to my hand. It was just like Hiccup to go above and beyond to show that he cared. Valka reached out her hands, and Hiccup and I both placed our rings to each other in hers. We outstretched our swords, tips up, and she held the rings up to the sky and said a prayer, before placing my ring on Hiccup's sword, and his on mine. We reached out and took our rings off the other's sword and slipped the rings on our fingers.

Valka gestured that it was time for the vows, Gothi nodding Valka on with encouragement.

Hiccup began, "I, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, do swear upon the Gods of Thor and Freyja, to honor, love, and cherish you, Astrid Hofferson, for the rest of my days. I will protect you, and put your needs above my own, from this day until the day that I am taken away by the Valkyries to Valhalla, where my soul will wait for you for eternity."

I repeated the vow to Hiccup, holding his hands tight, noting the weight on our fingers from our new rings. When completed, Valka dipped a bundle of fir-twigs into the bowl of mead sitting on the makeshift altar of stones and sprinkled the liquid over us. After a moment Gothi motioned to her that it was enough. We then took bowl of mead and each took a ceremonious sip.

"By the Gods of Freyja and Thor," Valka began with Gothi's instruction, facing the crowd, "these two have now been joined in the eyes of the Gods, and are now Husband and Wife!"

The crowd broke into cheers and Hiccup and I leaned in for a kiss, sealing the blessings of the Gods. The Dragons seated around the field all roared their acceptance and shot fire into the sky in unison. Laughing, Hiccup and I mounted our Dragons and took a ceremonious flight around the island, beginning our own wedding tradition for the island.

Hiccup was mine for the rest of my life, and I couldn't wait to see what adventures he had in store for us.


End file.
